BASKETBALL: Time for freshmen to step up

Franz Beard

01/08/2005

It's much too early to be counting the Florida Gators
(8-3, 0-0 in the SEC) down for the count in
basketball. Three early season losses aren't exactly a
knockout punch, but with Matt Walsh out for an
extended period of time and the Gators as up and down
as your typical day on the NASDAQ, there is cause for
concern at noon today when the Gators open their
Southeastern Conference schedule against the Arkansas
Razorbacks at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.

Coach Billy Donovan's team is 8-3 and two of the three
losses (Miami and Louisville) were winnable games at
home. Last Sunday's loss to Florida State in
Tallahassee, the Gators first game without Walsh, who
sustained extended ligament damage in his ankle, got
ugly in a hurry. Florida got pounded on the backboards
and the Seminoles played tough enough defense that
senior power forward David Lee got off only two shots.

With Walsh out of the lineup and only Anthony Roberson
a dependable outside scorer, the Gators can expect
every team they face to make an attempt to choke off
Lee inside and force Roberson into taking bad shots
from the outside. If they can succeed, it will force
younger, more inexperienced players to step up their
games and prove that they can carry the scoring load.

Walsh's spot in the lineup will be initially taken by
Lee Humphrey, a fine shooter from behind the arc, but
four inches shorter and not quick enough to create his
own shots. For Humphrey to have a good game, Roberson
is going to have to be as much a distributor as he is
a scorer, and with Walsh out of the game, every point
Roberson can get is critical.

That means that Lee is going to have to demand the
basketball. He's quick enough to abuse young players,
and the Razorbacks have a front court filled with
youngsters. He's also agile enough to create foul shot
opportunities if he is willing to take the ball to the
rack.

Lee is 6-9, 240 and blessed with tremendous athletic
skills. He's a fine leaper and an extraordinary dunker
on the fast break. What he's never done, however, is
showed a determination to take over a game
offensively.

It's said that old dogs can't be taught new tricks,
but perhaps this is a time when one old dog --- Lee, a
senior --- is going to have to prove that old adage
wrong. If he will demand the ball down low, then take
it to the hoop, he can open scoring opportunities for
Roberson, plus it will allow Humphrey a chance to spot
up. Roberson doesn't mind passing up a shot if he's
got a wide open teammate. Humphrey has that ability to
drift around the arc where he can find cracks and
crevices in a defense. If the ball goes into Lee as
often as possible in the low blocks, Humphrey will
have his chances to score.

Then there is the role of the freshmen, Taurean Green,
Corey Brewer, Cornelius Ingram, Al Horford and Joakim Noah. They have all five shown spurts of ability, but
now with Walsh going down, it's time for them to begin
to step up their games but they've not shown the
ability to be consistent against quality opponents.
It's one thing to produce when the opponent is Florida
Atlantic or Florida A&M, another thing altogether when
the opponent is from the SEC. The problem with the
five

Of the freshmen, Green's presence in the lineup allows
Roberson to move to the shooting guard where he's
comfortable, but for this move to be effective, Green
must prove he is quick enough to stay with opposing
point guards on the defensive end, and he must be just
enough of a threat offensively to prevent his defender
from cheating over toward Roberson.

Horford and Noah have the ability to take the pressure
off Lee down low if they can somehow manage to stay
out of foul trouble. Noah, in particular, has a real
scorer's mentality, plus he's very good at getting to
the foul line. Unfortunately, he's also hit or miss
from the line, capable of drilling all his free throws
one night, missing them all the next. Horford has big
hands and is a very strong offensive rebounder who can
get points on stickbacks.

If the freshmen don't produce and either Lee or
Roberson is off, then this and all the SEC games until
Walsh returns could be ugly. Donovan's raved about his
freshmen one night, lamented their inconsistencies the
next. Starting Saturday, he's got to hope that they
can grow up fast.